Thankfulness

Greetings!

As some of you know, I recently celebrated another successful revolution around our dear, light-giving sun. It was a quiet, pleasant day. 

Sometime during the afternoon, while I was sitting outside studying Khmer, my host sister looks at me and says, "Oh, you're eating dinner out with my father and I tonight." Oh, I am, am I? Then later it was a simple, "We go now." So off I go, riding on the back of Vandy's moto, with her friend driving alongside of us. After a detour, stopping at a quaint shop, we cross the railroad tracks and drive down the road to one of the omnipresent bamboo hut restaurants.  

A bamboo hut, similar to where we ate

Vandy, her friend, and I joined my host father and a co-worker who were already waiting. We ate a delicious dinner; they ordered for me, a Khmer crepe called បាញ់ឆែវ (banh chow), which happens to be one of my favorite Cambodian meals thus far. THEN they surprised me with a lovely cake. 

Matt, my country coordinator, asked how my day was, in just six words, so I said, "a quiet celebration with good cake."

Elephant Gift
ដំរី (damrei) means elephant

I am just constantly overwhelmed with thankfulness for this host family of mine. I'm thankful for their care and concern for my well-being, their provision, and my host'-mother's fabulous cooking skills. I'm thankful that they're one of the sweetest, open-heart families that I have ever had the privilege and pleasure of meeting. They have much to teach me of compassion, of generosity, of love...

Responsive art project
អរគុណ (a-koon) means "thank you"

Cheers, and love to all back home,
KMJ